The salary of a physical therapy assistant most certainly depends upon a number of factors, the most obvious and important one being the area of physical therapy being considered.
The different areas of physical therapy are:
Occupational therapy
Cardiopulmonary therapy
Geriatric therapy
Neurological therapy
Orthopedic therapy
Pediatric therapy
Integumentary therapy
These seven specialty areas of physical therapy are the primary deciding factors which will undoubtedly affect the potential average salary available to the physical therapy assistant.
The first decision to make when embarking upon this new career is in which area of physical therapy you would like to start, the next decision being exactly how much experience you have already gained as a physical therapy assistant. A newly qualified assistant may well expect to earn anywhere in the region of between 21 and 30 dollars per hour, whilst a more experienced assistant has the opportunity of earning on average between 30 and 45 dollars per hour – this is all dependant upon length of service and type of experience gained of course.
The geographical location in which you have chosen to start your career as a physical therapy assistant is also a deciding factor when it comes to the potential salary involved; some areas allow for a much higher income, i.e. working within a larger and busier city rather than a small, quiet suburban town. This third factor does not obviously play as large a role in salary expectations as the other conditions; however it does have some effect on your income.
Looking at location, area of expertise and experience gained, the average physical therapy assistant stands to earn anywhere between $28800 and $40500 per annum – the latter and more attractive amount being more likely should the candidate specialize in one of the more difficult areas of physical therapy. The range in potential earnings is huge and is of course reflected by the individual specialty area chosen as a career.
As with all employment, time, experience and opportunity will without doubt further a career in physical therapy, thereby increasing potential earnings.
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